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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Superstition

When I was hanging my exhibit at the Boston French Library with galeriedirectrice Noémie. I had to get under the ladder MANY times to hold the tape straight, while Noémie placed the pictures. An anathema for me. I'm deeply superstitious from childhood. I have my father to thank for it. I'd sooner walk into oncoming traffic than under a ladder. Quite a few of you suggested I visit Le Pere Lachaise. Are you kidding me? My father insisted anytime we passed a cemetery, funeral or hearse to spit 3 times (figuratively of course). I still do it. One of you PBers sent me this photo of a black cat in Le Pere Lachaise cemetery! If my dad saw a black cat crossing the road... He would turn the car around. No questions asked.Whenever the family went off on a trip...

We had to repeat this travel incantation before my father would start the car:

'We're off in a cloud of dust,In fact we've already left'.I never go to Paris or anywhere without saying this. Once I tried to explain to a French woman in Provence that we could not go to Cezanne's Mont Sainte Victoire without saying the travel incantation.

Nous allons depart au nuage de bla bla

En effect nous allons deja depart bla bla...

But there are inconsistencies...

Superstitious as I am, the night of the Boston opening, I broke a stick-on cosmetic mirrors.

What of that?

I lived on 13th street for years in the village without a hitch. Go figure. So are you superstitious? Do tell all!

34 comments:

Very good post Carol!I'm not superstitious but...I like to heard about superstition(s)and I respect them.We had a black cat for 9 years and he was a very sweet cat!And I really love Père Lachaise! Do you want to go there next time? We can repeat an hour before lots of incantations.

First of all, Carol.A big thank you for laying Stevie on me on this gray, rainy Philly morning. A bulb just blew, and with it, all the lights n my studio.I went to my basement and heard the sound of a waterfall; water rushing from a burst pipe. Curses!Bad luck all around? Or the bulb sending me a message (good thing)tofind the real problem, in my basement? Not so sure about good or bad luck.But serendipity; that I believe in.Fun post, as always.Bill

What a cute post! I love your blog! I am superstitious as well and I would suppose I have my Irish roots to blame for that. We believe in everything, including leprechauns! A wonderful day to you,Laura

Hi Carol, I"m very superstitious. I can't talk about how well my kids are doing without knocking wood. I'll even use paper if wood isn't around because paper is made from wood. Since I wrote that I have to do it right now! Three times for three kids. Knock knock knock

I never walk under ladders either. Or look at the full moon through a window. When I spill salt I always pick it up and toss it over my left shoulder, to cancel out the bad luck, I know it's crazy but I do it!"See a coin and pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck."

thanks especially for the piece about papa. I cracked up because many of these loony practices were passed on to me! I still say the same incantation before the plane starts, and I spit at the sight of a hearse for many years. love bel

Bonjour! Im Mohammed from Riyadh, KSA and I've been following your blog since looooooooong time just when it came to my ind finally now that I should write something back.. what you're doing is GREAT and AMAZING, keep it going! you really inspired me to visit Paris this holiday season "I've been to it several times before" with my newly married lovely wife! we, as Muslims, dont celebrate Christmas or the New Year but you pushed me to come to Paris along with the great movie " Something gotta give" !! REALLY!God bless you

I once had an assistant, a Neapolitan woman, she was so superstitious, she started screaming every time I got near the ladder that run along the bookshelves of my office. She had all sorts of rules, I also remember something about a bad eye, fortunately I forgot what that was all about!

I feel quite lucky here in V., chimney sweeps are supposed to bring luck, and I encounter them regularly. Have you ever met any in Paris? There must be chimneys to sweep there too.

We are leaving (departing) in a cloud of dust - In fact, we already left.

I am not sure what the meaning is in English,I have never heard this expression before...Does it mean that we are leaving so fast that the dust engulfs us? and that because we left so quickly, we are alreadygone??Oh well...

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♥carol gillott♥

Paris, Ile de France, France

I moved to Paris 2 years ago. I should have done it sooner but that's how the macaron crumbles. Living on the Ile Saint Louis next to the Seine after the 19eme is 'la cerise sur la gâteau'. It doesn't get any better. I've painted watercolors for Bocuse, Champagne Mumm, Guerlain, Frederick Cassel, The Russian Tearoom and the Maharana of Udaipur.
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